License holder



Feb. 24, 1953 G. W.HUGHES LICENSE HOLDER Filed March 24, 1952 qveryfor George W. Hugh fi a flw M AGENT Patented Feb. 24, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Canad Application March 24, 1952, Serial No. 278,187

4 Claims. (01. 40 125) The invention relates to a holder for license plates of vehicles and in the present. instance this one is particularly designed for use. with bicycle licenses, Such licenses are often carried from the back of the bicycle seat, the upper'part of the rear forks, or the mudguards, depending upon the ingenuity of the cyclist in providing a suitable support. No standard position apparently has been set but it is generally compulsory to have it clearly showing at the back.

The principal objects of the present invention are to provide a bracket which will be universally attachable to all makes of bicycles, will be held rigid thereon, and will support the licensein a position for perfect visibility and in a position where least damage is likely to occur.

A further object of the invention is to provide the bracket adjustable for various lengths of licenses, as they vary in different cities and towns across the country, and to maintain said ad'- justed positions so that the same length of license will always fit.

Withthe above important and other minor ob jects in view, which will become more apparent as the description proceeds,the invention, consists essentially in the construction and arrangement of the various parts hereinafter more praticularly described, reference being had to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a partial perspective view of the rear part of a bicycle, showing the seat and the invention positioned thereunder.

Figure 2 is an enlarged perspective invention complete.

Figure 3 is a vertical longitudinal section taken on the dot and dash line 33. Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a horizontal sectional view taken on the dot and dash line 4-4, Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the front end of the bracket and showing one of the cross openings there through.

Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure 3 but showing a modified form of the jam control.

In the drawings like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures.

The base part'of the bracket comprises ashort tubing I having one end closedas shown at '2 and at right angles to the centreline of the tubing. The oppositeend of the tubing is cut back at a sloping angle to the centreline and closed by a plate shown at 3,. the plate being welded or soldered therearouncl. A bolt 4 passes vertically and centrally through the tubing and the upper end is received in a nut 5 which has view of the a countersunk upper end. When the nut is loosely tightened, the end of the bolt is riveted into this countersink, as indicated at 6 in Figure 3, to permit the bolt and nut rotation as a unit in the walls of the tubing by turning the lower head 1. A relatively thick plate 8, of triangular-shape, is horizontally received within the tubing. This plate is drilled. and threaded near one corner to receive. the threaded portion of the bolt 4 which passes therethrough. The edge 3 of this plate, remote from the threaded hole, is cut at an angle corresponding to the angle of the closure plate 3 and is positioned adjacent thereto. The outer corners ofthe plate 8 are free of the tubing but will contact the walls thereof to prevent rotation of the plate on the bolt 4. Accordingly, when the bolt 4 is turned, the plate 8 will ride up and down on the bolt threads to bring the angled edge 9 closer to or away from the closure plate 3.

"On each side of the tubing I, adjacent the closure plate 3 and at the same angle therewith, a rectangular-shaped opening III is provided; through thetubing I (see Figure 5). These openings are aligned with each other and with the space between the plates 8 and 3.. A pair of rectangular-shaped plates II and I2 have integral tongues I3 extending from one of the sides thereof, the lower edges of the tongues being a continuation of the lower edges of the plates. Each of the plates II and [2 are alsov provided with a horizontal slot I4. The tongue of the plate II is passed throughthe openings III, of the tubingl and between the plates 8 and 3 and the tongue of the plate I2 is similarly inserted but from the other side of the tubing I I and such, that it isin front of the plate. ll.

After these tongues have been passed through the openings mentioned, the extreme ends of the tongues are bent outwardly, as shown at 15, to prevent their withdrawal. As the plates II and I2 are slidable sideways on the tongues they can be adjusted in relation to the tubing I and any distance apart. When adjusted to the required position, such as shown in Figure 2, the

bolt head I is turned to move the plate 8 upwardand this movement jams the tongues toether between the side 9 of the plate 8 and the plate 3 in a frictionally locking movement, I

The end 2 of the tubing I receives and is secured to a spring strap I5 which is preferably designedin a. curve, as shownin Figures 2 and 4, and each end is provided with a hole I I therethrough. This strap, being made of spring steel, is flexible so that the ends can be sprung to- 3 gether and when released will spring apart again. The rear part of a bicycle is shown in Figure 1 and comprises a main horizontal bar [8, a rear downwardly angled fork member 19 straddling when tightened, locks the shaft 23 to support the seat.

In installing the bracket license holder, the bolt 25 is first removed from the clamp, the spring strap I6 is sprung around the clamp and the bolt 25 reinserted but also passed through the holes IT at the same time. When the bolt is tightened up the license bracket is firmly held in position with the closure plate 3 and the plates II and I2 facing rearwardly at a slight upward angle. A license plate (not shown) can then be fastened to the plates II and 12 by passing bolts (not shown) through the license plate and through the slots I3 of the plates H and I2 so that thelicense will be clearly visible behind and below the seat.

The spring strap l6, being flexible, will fit all such bicycle connection clamps for difierent makes of machines. Some British bicycles have an extra large clamp and in such cases a longer spring strap may be provided. Once the plates l l and I2 have been clamped in the correct position for a certain size of license plate, they need never be changed as each city usually has the same sized license plate each year. However, if the .cyclist changes his residence to another city and a different sized license plate is issued in thatcity, the plates ll and 12 will have to be changed to correspond. From the above construction it will be seen that this change can easily be accomplished by releasing the nut 1, moving the plates II and I2 to the proper position, and then the nut 1 is re-tightened. It will also be observed that the plates can be offset from the centre if for any reason such might be desired.

V The modification'shown in Figure 6 works on the same principle as the. above but in this construction the hole in the plate 8 is not threaded.

The clamping bolt 26 which takes the place of the bolt 4 has two different diameters so as to provide a central shoulder 2'1. Bothends of the bolt are threaded. The small end of the bolt is passed up through the tubing l and through the plate 8 the same as the bolt 4 until the shoulder contacts the bottom of the plate 8 and the upper end of the bolt is screwed into an exterior nut 28 which is secured to the tubing l. After passing through this nut, the upper end is pressed larger to form a head can 29 so it cannot pass back through the nut. The lower end of the bolt is provided with a cross groove 30 for screw driver operation and the lower threads receive 'a lock nut 3|. By turning the bolt with a screw driver the plate 8 can be raised or lowered on the shoulderas the. bolt rides up or down the threads of the nut 28, and when the tongues l3 of the plates H and I2 are clamped, the lock nut 3| is tightened against the tubing l for a further safety measure. -What I claim as my invention is: V

1. A license holder, comprisingz'a closed tubing having a sloping end wall; a pair of plates,

one on each side of said tubing, mounted parallel with said sloping end wall, and for telescopic movement of one end each thereof through the walls of said tubing; manual control means rotatably mounted across said tubing for frictionally locking said telescoping plate ends between said control means and said sloping end wall, when operated; means, carried by the opposite end wall of said tubing, for mounting said holder on a vehicle; and means on said'plates for attaching a license plate thereto.

2. A license holder, comprising: a closed tubing having one end wall formed at a sloping angle; a pair of aligned openings, one on each side of said tubing, adjacent and parallel to said sloping end wall; a pair of plates, one on each side of said tubing; side tongues on said plates telescopically passing side by side through said openings; manual control means mounted across said tubing; a clamping member within said tubing, carried and operated by said control means; said control means operable to move said clamping member into engagement with and frictionally clamp said tongues against said sloping end wall; means, carried by the opposite end wall of said tubing, for mountin said holder on a vehicle; and means on said plates for attaching a license plate thereto.

3. A license holder, comprising: a closed tubing having one end wall formed at a sloping angle; a pair of aligned openings, one on each side of said tubing, adjacent and parallel to said sloping end wall; a pair of plates, each on opposite sides of said tubing, and each carrying a side extend ing tongue; said tongues passing through said openings, side by side; a control shaft through said tubing, bearinged in the walls thereof, and exteriorly and manually operable; a clamping member within said tubing, carried and operated by said control means; said control member operable to move said clamping member into engagement with one of said tongues to press and frictionally clamp said tongues in a locked position against said sloping end wall; means for securing said holder to a vehicle; and means on said plates for attaching a license plate thereto.

4. A license holder, comprising: a closed tubing having one end wall thereof formed at a sloping angle to the centreline of said tubing a rectangular-shaped opening on each side of said tubing, adjacent to and parallel with said sloped end Wall, and in alignment; a plate positioned on each side of said tubing; said plates'each provided with a side extending tongue; said tongues slidably telescoping through said openings and in sliding contact with each other; an externally operable screw shaft rotatably mounted through the walls of saidtubing; a clamp member within said tubing having a tapered edge facing said sloping end wall; said clamp member supported by andmovable by the rotation of said screw shaft against or away from one of said tongues; and said screw shaft manually operable to move the tapered edge of said clam member to jam said tongues together and against said sloping end wall; forked means, carried by the opposite end wall of said tubing for connecting said tubing to a bicycle frame; and slot means through said plates for attaching a license plate thereto.

i GEORGE WHARTON HUGHES. V

'No references cited. 

